A Book Slump
August hasn't been a good reading month for me plus I have writer's block. I can't seem to write a decent post. I hope it's because I'm pregnant and I've been suffering from intermittent morning sickness. I'm now in my second trimester and feeling so much better. I hope I'll be inspired to write again soon. I think it would help if I read something good. This doesn't usually happen but I've abandoned two novels this month - Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and The Passage by Justin Cronin. I have to read Atlas Shrugged for my book club and it's a painful and tedious read at 1000 plus pages with minuscule font. Of course it doesn't help that I'm not a fan of Ayn Rand being familiar with her philosophy and her life story and having slogged through The Fountainhead a few years ago for another book club. From what I've read about her, she seems like a horrible person. I tried to persevere but unfortunately (or fortunately) I have too many more interesting books in my To Be Read pile.
The Passage meanwhile was incredibly riveting for the first 250 pages before it completely turned around. Part two jumps a hundred years to the future and is filled with a gazillion new characters. There's just about enough people to make my head spin. I've put it aside for now and I plan to continue it at a later date but I certainly need a break. I want a good book! I'm off to buy Mockingjay, the third part of The Hunger Games trilogy. I can't, can't wait!!! This is just the right book to get me out of my book slump and hopefully my writer's block.
I'd love to hear what you thought of the books I mentioned. Should I continue with The Passage? Does it get better later on? How about Atlas Shrugged? Has anyone read it and what's your opinion of the book and Ayn Rand's philosophy? I'd love to hear from you. My book club meets in a week and since I didn't read the entire book, it would be worthwhile to know the views of other readers.
My review for the Passages is here http://pbbookends.blogspot.com/2010/08/passage-by-justin-cronin.html and no it didnt get better. I wish I had given up after page 250 but I slogged on to the end after because of all the pages I had already invested. Im in the minority on this one though.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Astrid! I'm so pleased for you and hope the morning sickness entirely abates.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Mockingjay - I think you are deserving of that treat after attempting to slog through Ayn Rand. I have no desire ever to read any of her books, based on what I've heard of them and of her (if my book group chose her then it would be a month I wouldn't attend, I feel that strongly opposed to reading her).
I must have missed somewhere along the way that cogratulations were in order. Exciting news!
ReplyDelete@Paperback Reader - I feel exactly like you about Rand but it seems the rest of my book club is loving it. Go figure!
ReplyDelete@verity - Thanks, it's the first time I mentioned it.
Congratulations on the pregnancy! The two books are certainly not helping being such massive chunksters. I've heard mixed reviews about The Passage. I've only discovered what Mockinjay is all about and I think I might delve into the series. Hope you recover from a reading/writing slump soon. I've past my reading slump but now have a slight case of writing slump.
ReplyDeleteOMG, congratulations on your pregnancy. That will definitely explain it. Maybe reading children's books will help?
ReplyDeleteAtlas Shrugged was an abandoned book for me too, weird because I loved the Fountainhead.
I loved Mockingjay!!
Congrats on your pregnancy! I hear the mind goes for a little while early on, but it sounds like you're getting yours back!
ReplyDeleteI feel just like you about Rand. I remember in college everyone loved her, and I felt so left out because I just couldn't, try as I might.
Congratulations!!!
ReplyDeleteI know I couldn't make it through Ayn Rand, or at least I know I have no particular wish to make it through Ayn Rand. Props to you for trying. You deserve a fun read now, though by all accounts "fun" is not quite the adjective for Mockingjay. :p
At first I was sort of sad to know that you didn't get to read much this month, but then I read about your pregnancy and yay! Congratulations! Panganay po ba? :)
ReplyDeleteHaven't read a page of Rand and it's likely I won't ever get to, which is just as well, I guess. I have The Passage on my iBooks, though. I'll try to read it soon. Perhaps next month.
Just say No to all Ayn Rand. It's boring and
ReplyDeletequite pointless. It's time for society to put
this scourge behind us.
Oh congratulations, Astrid! What wonderful news! I hope the sickness is over for you shortly - not pleasant!
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to read Ayn Rand for a while, but I picked up the Penguin edition of Atlas Shrugged the other day and when I saw the size of the font I realised life was too short to even contemplate beginning it!
Read Anne of Green Gables!!
I am glad to know that I am not the only one in a slump right now! I love Atlas Shrugged but I read it at the perfect time--if I tried reading it at this moment, I wouldn't get past the first twenty pages!
ReplyDeleteHey! Here after a long time! I haven't been blogging for a while now because my mom took ill and it feels great to be back! Sorry about the writer's block..I know how it feels! I have Atlas Shrugged on my list actually and it is one of the books I want to read before the year is over....personally I didn't find fountainhead too great but I have heard that Atlas Shrugged is better...I guess I shall have to wait and see! And I actually read your Charlie and the chocolate factory post long ago and commented on it :)
ReplyDeleteYou did exactly the right thing to buy Mockingjay. When you're in a Book Slump, you need to go for the gold you know will work to flush you out of it!
ReplyDeleteI've had a big Book Slump of my own, which I blogged about today. Different reason, but same problem.
Just read what you know will work!!
Judith (Reader in the Wilderness)
That's perfectly fine. We all get it sometimes (I get it more often than most, it seems).
ReplyDeleteBest wishes on your pregnancy!
Just in case you aren't aware of it, stay away from The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I LOVE that book, but I seriously wouldn't recommend it to expecting parents :)
Book slumps, writers block...we all have them. Have never read Ayn Rand so can't comment, although I do have The Fountainhead on my bookshelves...may a long-ago attempt to read it that I can't now recall? Congratulations on your pregnancy. Stay well.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, Atlas Shrugs is the name of the appalling blog written by Pamela Geller http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/ - about as tedious as the book.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get on with The Passage and gave up a third of the way through.